Tottenham Hotspur won their final game at White Hart Lane on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Manchester United. This victory also guarantees Tottenham will finish second in the league for the first time in 54 years.
Victor Wanyama and Harry Kane scored for Tottenham, with Wayne Rooney getting one back for United. Overall, the game was incredibly one-sided.
As has become expected for Tottenham’s home form, they were in control from kick off and maintained their composure. This was a highly anticipated game as the last one played at the Lane. The players did well to earn the win. This game also marks the first time that Tottenham have ever gone unbeaten at home for an entire season.
They’ve had a strong season. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has worked hard to build a competitive squad. The players have matched his enthusiasm. Spurs have the best defensive record in the Premier League this season – just one example of how much they’ve progressed.
Despite losing every chance at silverware again, the desire to win is clear. Now, the club will have to compete in the summer to strengthen and match their rivals in terms of confidence and player quality.
A trophy is now a minimum requirement for this Tottenham team. After a second season of losing out on the title race, there is no reason why they are not strong enough to earn some silverware next year. However, this could be trickier than expected.
Tottenham’s home fixtures will be played at Wembley for the 2017/18 season until construction is complete at their North London home. They had a poor record at Wembley for their European fixtures earlier this season, which could prove ominous.
They won only one of their three Champions League group stage games there, and drew in their Europa League fixture. That is without mentioning their English tournament records at the stadium, made worse after their 4-2 defeat in the FA Cup semi final to Chelsea last month.
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The Wembley results are concerning, but what’s more concerning is that Spurs haven’t yet adapted to the pressure of not being the underdog. This is not only singular to Wembley, either. It has been a problem of theirs in recent years.
They lost their focus against Chelsea last season, which saw their title rivals Leicester confirmed as Champions. This season, they lost 1-0 to West Ham in a game that would have seen them one point behind first place. Although the team has potential, they have to progress psychologically, too. This is something that Pochettino has yet to combat.
Tottenham have surpassed the point of being good enough. They now need to be one of the best. Two seasons in a title race is one thing, but the maintenance of that drive is another. They know how to put the pressure on the teams above them, but that won’t win them anything. They need to learn how to rise to the top first: to thrive from the pressure rather than collapse under it.
The next few months will be telling. Tottenham have established themselves as a tough side and need to maintain their reputation. This means incentivising new and old players – and the manager – to stick around and build a legacy.
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Spurs will need to develop a mind-set of competing for the highest honours amongst the toughest rivals. There are no excuses now. They have had their best season in years. They must only become better.